The Court of Stars

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

The Leo dropped me off at a large building that was across from his palace. It had spiraling pillars and the walls were painted with different things. One picture stood out to me, a depiction of a lion being stabbed with a spear, vultures ripping the skin of the creature. Just like the painting on the ceiling of Casey's library.

Shuddering, I slipped through the massive glass doors. Some part of me screamed as I walked over to the shadowy man, his maroon eyes making it obvious of who it was. I shouldn't be here, not when he called me slut and a bitch. I didn't want anything from him and I let him break me down to the point of where I questioned my existence. To the point of where I almost committed suicide. Yet, the rest of me felt drawn toward the mysterious male who was opening up to me each day. My feelings were confused and scrambled by Casey, the way he made me feel as if I was worth everything in the small world, or he could make me feel as I was worth nothing at all, just a piece of litter on a forgotten beach.

He smiled as I stepped under the balcony with him, my brow rising at the parcel in his hands. His eyes followed mine and he held out to me, his triceps flexing as his arm straightened. His outfit was so casual it startled me, the fitted t-shirt and the sweatpants that hung off his hips.

Gently plucking the package from his hands, I turned it over in my hands, it felt like a block of wood but I could also feel leather through the paper.

"You do realize you're supposed to open it right?" He tore the corner of the paper and I gasped, the sound echoing on the tall ceiling.

"I know, I'm not stupid. I was just trying to guess what it was." He rolled his eyes at me and I imitated the gesture before viciously ripping the wrapping off. "What is this?" It looked like a leather-bound book, but all the pages were empty, except for the first one.

"They often say the best readers are the best writers. I hope one day I can read your stories. The asshole, Casey."

Tears pricked in my eyes and I silently cursed my emotions for betraying me. Casey cleared his throat and I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to focus on his handsome face. "I noticed you read, a lot, and I wondered what fantasies float through your mind." He paused for a moment, trying to read my face. "Now, you can write your own stories. Do you like it?"

A sob teared through my lips and lifted my shaking hand to my lips. When I was still with the Constel nurses, I had told them I wanted to be a writer, not a lover. They laughed and broke my fingers, telling me to not be stupid. I never mentioned it again, channeling my creativity through reading and daydreams. "Yes. I love it," I breathed. I threw my arms around his neck, his body tensing under mine, but I didn't let go. He didn't understand how important this was to me. It was as if he was giving me the key to living a life I wanted. I released him from my prison of hugs and smiled sheepishly. "I don't know if I'll be any good, but thank you."

He shook himself of whatever emotion was painted on his face and pushed the notebook closer to me. "Nonsense. Do you forgive me?" He looked under his lashes at me, a tint of fear reflected in them.

"Yes, I forgive you." I giggled, shaking my head. It didn't excuse what he had said, but I was willing to move past that. "This is the best gift anyone has given me."

He smiled, a beautiful thing on his normally sad face. "Well, that's not all." He looped his arm through mine as I tucked the journal in my small satchel, his height defined. "Let's go."

"Go where?"

He dragged me through the doors, my short legs struggling to keep up with his long strides. "That's a surprise."

Scowling, I rolled my eyes at him once again and my mind drifted as we walked. I had so many stories I wanted to put down, so many inspirations from different novels. My writing wasn't very good, at least from what I gathered on the scraps of paper I used to write on before the Constel nurses caught me. And, I didn't know if I liked to write fiction or nonfiction. So many possibilities just in a pencil and paper.

My mind was ripped from the pile of words forming inside of me when the Scorpio brought me into a quaint restaurant. Only a handful of Stars occupied the varying tables, every inch of the building abstract. He led me to a shadowed corner, the square table covered by a checkered cloth.

Two menus were handed to us, the laminated papers glossy and smooth. My eyes immediately went toward the dessert section, my insides growling at the thought of food. The last time I ate was the day we left the Capricorn district, almost two days ago.

Casey's eyes gleamed with laughter, but he didn't mention my desperate stomach and instead ordered a tiramisu for both of us. I'd never heard of it, but I was willing to trust him.

The people around us were eating many strange foods; noodles with balls of meat and red sauce, flat bread with melted cheese, yellow squares that reminded me of dumplings, and more. My mouth watered at the smells of melted butter and stretchy cheeses. A plate was slipped in front of me, layers of ladyfingers and a whipped mixture. Casey's face lit up and he instantly dug into the small dish, so I followed suit. The moment the strange food was in my mouth, a coffee flavor overwhelmed me.

"This is so good." I smiled at Casey. His lips twitched upwards.

After ordering more and stuffing ourselves with tiramisu, Casey hauled me out the door and into the neighboring building. At the back was a raised stage and the people were doing a group dance. My gut twisted at the sight of all the movement and before I could ask why we were here, Casey spun me onto the dance floor, joining the rest of the Stars. His head was thrown back as he laughed at the emotions flickering on my face and he pulled me closer.

By the end of the fourth song, my feet were screaming and vomit pressed against the back of my throat. I pushed it aside, staring in awe and wonder at the man before me. It was as if his depressed state had shedded off almost completely, only a glint of sadness reflected in his eyes. His only sounds were laughter and the words of compliments.

"Who are you and what happened to Casey?" I teased.

He flicked my nose and I tried to snap at his fingers. "I feel bad about what I said to you. I know what I'm doing won't fix it because what I did wasn't right, but I want you to know I'm sorry. I-" He stopped himself, his cheeks turning a deeper shade than his eyes.

"You?" We stopped dancing and the heat of the room finally hit me.

He averted his eyes, his skin flushing even more. "Will you be my friend?"

From everything I expected him to say, that was not one of them. This man, this lonely and dejected man, was asking me to be his friend. This man who was my leader and could strike me down in a second. When had life become so backwards? I nodded, not trusting my mouth to form words.

He sighed in relief, his grip loosening. "You know, you'd be my first real friend."

"What about Lupus and Ara? Or Norma and Circinus?"

His hair shook with his head, his wavy locks matted to his forehead. "They just serve me. If they could, they'd leave."

And we were back to this again. "No, they are your friends. Your kind to them and they enjoy your presence." He opened his mouth to interrupt me, but I lifted a finger. "And don't even argue. We're having a good night, remember?"

Casey let out a breath of defeat before pulling me back onto the dance floor, spinning the night away.